In the Dallas Associated Press is a story that the company American Home Products knew that components in the Fen Phen diet drug they produced was causing serious health problems. Internal company memos from 1996 showed the company knew of illnesses and deaths from a rare lung disease linked to their product. At that same
read moreThe US Food and Drug Administration regularly sends out citation letters to many drug companies for overstating the effects of their drugs in advertising. Tom Abrams, the chief watchdog at the Food and Drug Administration for deceptive advertising, says some ads stretch the truth with overstated claims of effectiveness and understated descriptions of side effects.
read moreAn Associated Press article dated September 20, 2002 reported that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued a warning on the use of pain killers known as acetaminophen. The most common brand of acetaminophen on the market today is the over the counter brand Tylenol. The article featured the story of Marcus Trunk,
read moreThe above headline comes from numerous publications including the November 18, 2004 edition of the LA Times. This feature article strongly suggests that the FDA as currently configured and run cannot protect the American public from bad medications. The article notes that the Food and Drug Administration knew before the agency approved Merck & Company’s,
read moreIn two recent articles on September 25, 2000 by both Reuters News and USA Today came reports that that 54 percent of the experts the FDA asks for advice on which medicines should be approved for sale had a direct financial interest in the drugs or topics they were evaluating. These financial conflicts or interest
read moreFrom the Associate Press comes an article that reports on the benefits of corporations having their employees participate in wellness exercise programs. “Enthusiastic participation in worksite wellness can yield a variety of health benefits,” said Dr. Roy Shephard of the University of Toronto. These corporate programs put exercise equipment and “health advisers” close to the
read moreReports of a new study appeared in the June 10, 2004 issue of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. This new study indicates that exercise is more important than calcium in developing strong bones in girls and young women. Researchers at Penn State University and Johns Hopkins University found that when girls took in far less calcium
read moreTwo studies reported in the January 27, 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that even a mild amount of activity or exercise can improve heart and lung function. Routine activities such as raking leaves and climbing stairs can produce a positive cardiovascular effect. One study followed 235 men and women
read moreFrom Mar 13, 2001 Reuters Health comes a story reporting on a study of nearly 34,000 Norwegian adults. In this study those who ate the highest amounts of whole grain had a 23% reduced risk of death from heart disease, and a 21% reduced risk of death from cancer compared with people who ate little
read moreA Reuters Health article of August 27, 2003 reports on research that shows that eating dark chocolate, but not milk chocolate, raises plasma antioxidant levels, an effect that could help protect against heart disease. The new study from the University of Glasgow, showed eating chocolate increases blood antioxidants but consuming milk at the same time
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